Apple iPads don’t yet adorn the walls of many museums or art galleries, but that may change in the not too distant future. Artists like Reuben Negron have embraced the iPad as a new medium and as an opportunity for experimentation.
Negron’s work as an artist and illustrator has been shown internationally, most notably with exhibitions in New York, London, Miami, France and El Salvador. His work has also been published by Devora Ran, For Beginners Books, The New York Press, Playboy Magazine, Spectrum and Communication Arts. His paintings and short graphic narratives tend to deal with personal experiences and he’s mostly inspired by under-represented stories and tries to bring them to a wider audience through visual narratives. Recently, he has turned to the iPad in an effort to challenge himself and discover new ideas and techniques.
“Working digitally allows for easy revision and expansion of whatever I’m doing at a moment’s notice – which can be beneficial when working with clients,” says Negron, who is primarily known for my use of watercolors. “I feel that both watercolor and digital painting have their merits and I’ve found that my most successful work comes from combining the two processes. I can’t say that I have a preference of one over the other. Each has its place in my toolbox”
Like many artists, Negron typically carries a carry a camera, a sketchbook and drawing materials in order to capture an idea or take a picture of something for later use. But when the iPad became available, Negron added the tablet to his repertoire as an all-inclusive sketchbook.
A self-proclaimed gadget-freak, Negron had been waiting to see if the Microsoft Courier tablet would come to fruition. He eventually turned to the iPad after seeing some friends using it to creating art.
“Truthfully, it also appeals to my inner kid. I love being able to create images on something that essentially feels and functions like I’m playing a video game,” says Negron. “I love being able to tinker and toy with the newest technologies. Painting on the iPad is a justified way to appease all my boyish tendencies.”
Creating art on the iPad has been made easier with the use of a Targus Executive Stylus. The artist loves its weight and its dual function as a traditional pen. Its overall comfort has also helped him create intricate digital paintings.
“I’ve got large hands and other styluses I’ve used tend to be uncomfortable to hold. This one feels solid and doesn’t cause my hand to cramp. Also, compared to others that I’ve used, I prefer the sensitivity of the nib. As a pen, the ink is rich and line quality is smooth. Although I have an iPad, I still like to carry around a sketchbook for the sake of making physical drawings. There is a tactile quality that, regardless of how well the iPad operates, can’t be duplicated. Having a dual function pen means one less thing I have to carry which is always a good thing.”
In addition to using a comfortable stylus, Negron has embraced a range of apps to create his digital masterpieces. Although he has experimented with ArtRage and Sketchbook Express, he has been impressed the most by Procreate, an app by Savage Interactive.
“[The Procreate app] is intuitively designed and extremely responsive. The ability to create custom brushes is invaluable and I hope to see the program expand as the technology evolves.”
The iPad may be a newcomer in the world of art, but Negron won’t hesitate to say it has plenty of promise.
“I think Apple and the other tablet makers have tapped into a market with a great potential for expansion. As long as program developers continue to push the device’s capabilities and provide creatives with the tools they both desire and require, I think it’s only a matter of time before we see tablets becoming more commonplace.”
Despite its incredible potential and its burgeoning role in the creation of art, the iPad won’t mean the demise of other media. Negron believes it will coexist with other forms of art.
“When photography first came onto the stage there was talk about the death of painting. Obviously that didn’t happen. The result was the birth of new art forms that today we take for granted. I see this digital media revolution much in the same light. Only once enough time has passed will we be able to step back and really gauge to what degree its influence is apparent.”
Negron remains busy with other media as well. This House of Glass, his most recent solo show, was on view at Like the Spice Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, this past September. He’s currently preparing new work for a group show there this coming March as well as a few new projects he has had on the back burner for the past year. While his upcoming projects may still change direction between now and the time they reach the gallery, he continues to experiment and incorporate new techniques into his work.
“What I can say is that I’m looking into using a cross platform approach as a way to interact with my audience beyond a gallery setting. I’m sure the iPad will play a part in whatever that happens to be.”
Connect With Us